Missing North Texas girl found dead after being abducted by FedEx driver, authorities say
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Authorities in North Texas say 7-year-old girl Athena Strand, who went missing and prompted an Amber Alert on Thursday, was found dead Friday night.
"Some of the answers are not the answers that we would have hoped, we want to send our condolences out to the family of Athena Strand," Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said at the beginning of the press conference Friday night.
Authorities in Dallas said her body was recovered between 7-8 p.m.
"It hurts our hearts to know that that child died, " Sheriff Akin said. "She is on her way now to the Medical Examiner’s Office and there’s a Texas Ranger in front of her and a Texas Ranger behind her."
RELATED| Amber Alert issued for missing North Texas 7-year-old girl
Strand was last seen on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at around 5:45 p.m. in the 200 block of CR 3573 in Paradise, Texas.
"We are sad that it didn’t end the way we hoped it would end," Sheriff Akin added.
Police said they received a tip on Friday that helped them determine that the FedEx driver who made a delivery in front of the girl's home at the time Athena went missing had in fact abducted her. Police believe Athena died within the hour from the abduction.
The driver is a contract driver who was identified as 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner from Lake Worth.
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Horner has been booked into the Wise County Jail under a $1.5 million dollar bond He is being charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Police say Horner confessed to the crime and has no relation to the family.
The investigation is ongoing.
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